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A smallish affair gets even smaller … and classier

It is too damn hot! By the time I got to the Junk, the car was overheating, and predicatbly, almost no one turned up…

Which was strange, because the musos that did all had a great day. Read on

Captain Chaos, fresh from wrangling a jam for about 6 hours the night before, set off at a rate of knots – you could tell straight away he was in good form. Easy Living

Jeff turned up. Been having lessons in saxophonology, embouchure, flooting and quite possibly deportment. You can never be too careful. Result? Played the best I have ever heard him.

Laurie Savage eschewed his usual run of blues based beobp tunes, instead hauling out Now and Forever, which was a highlight of the day.

Pete Micevski, he of the pony tail, got there early. Played all day, hard to believe he ever sounded like a beginner – classiest of the lot, all day.

Russell Stringer set up the drums, played 4/4, 6/8. 12/8 and grooved along. Occasionally apologised for not nailing the beat at the outset of a tune he probably hadn’t heard before anyway. Actually took no [prisoners, hit things masterfully and departed exhausted… Bill Swannie took over! And played for at least two hours without a break. Got better and better, even though he was pretty damn good to start with.

A rhythm section that good made piano playing a breeze, which it probably needed to be to cool things down – it was still too damn hot.

Julian swung his flute hard and fast. He gets better and better, and brought with him a bevy of audience to boot.

Exhaustion set in around 6.00pm, when young Malcolm took over the keys, and Vlad, first guitarist all afternoon, played up a storm.

Guest singers Ashley de Wangaratta and Nicola sang, I think, Embraceable Ewe and Stormy Weather, but it could have been Route 66, and Sumnmertime. Whatever. Entertaining sets and lifted the mood. It was still too damn hot…

Cooling down: Annie Smiiff, the Divine, Late, Frazzled or None of the above sang too. She is always good.

Chuffing: The Captain announced himself well chuffed – it had been a classy afternoon and not a trainwreck in sight. We ‘ll fix that later…